Fountain pen-holder



(Model.)

Patented June 2,7

digli/lf,

.IW/verbt www] N, PEYERS. Pholwumogmpher. washinglen, D. C.

UNTED STATES PATENT @Ferca MARVIN C. STONE, OFFALIJS CHURCH, VIRGINIA.

FOUNTAIN PEN-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 260,134, dated June 27,1882. Application filed October 15, 1881. (Model.)

Y To all whom it mag/concern:

' action secured through the-presence of one or with certainty of itsbeing ready for immedi-y ate operation when required.

' In order to accomplish these ends I make use of a body or reservoirwherein the ink isy sustalned mainly byatmospheric pressure, and

feed the ink from said reservoir to the point'of the pen orwriting-instrument by the capillary more feeding-surfaces adjacent tothe pen, and

extending from the ink-supply downward to Vthe point of the pen, or tosuch point that the pen will, by its ordinary action, deliver the inkthence to the paper.

Referring to the accompanyingy drawings,

Figure 1 is a vertical central section throughV 1 a pen constructed onmy improved plan. Fig.

` 2 is a similar section through a .pen-holding and feeding devicedetached ,from the fountain or reservoir. Figs. 3 to 8 are devicesshowing modifications of the pen.

In constructing my bolder I first provide a rigid non-collapsible tube,A, to form an inkreservoir, this tube being hermetically sealed, exceptat the lower end,which may be left entirely open. This body, which isdesigned to receive the ink, is filled by turning its mouth upward andpouring ink therein, after which the feed and pen-holdin g devices areapplied and the reservoir inverted to deliver the inl; from its mout-h.Having provided the reservoir, I next provide the holding and feedingdevice clearly represented in Figs. l and 2. This device has its upperend, a, made ot' tubular form, and adapted to fit closely around orwithin the end of the reservoir or body A, and has its lower end made ofsuitable form to admit an ordinary writing-pen, C. The upper end,.a, isclosely filled with a. mass ot' sponge or other porous absorbentmaterial, c. This material prevents the accidental discharge of the inkand assists in sustainingl the same in the holder. The column ofinkwill, however,

. be sustained in the reservoir, when the latter is held upright, byatmospheric pressure, aided, perhaps, by a slight capillary attraction,without the presence of the sponge. The lower end of the holder isadapted to embrace closely the upper end of the writing-pen, thesurfaces d d of the holder lying closely adjacent to the surfaces of thepen on the outer and inner sides of the same, and extending downwardover said pen-surfaces'nearly to the point of the pen, it beingimportantthat the surface d shall extend downward to such point that the ink willAbe fed thence downward tothe paper by the capillary action existingbetween the poi nts or nibs of the pen, as usual.

Between the pen-surfaces and the surfaces d of the holder there issufficient space for a thin film of inkto tiow downward. Air will begradually admitted through the absorbent' material' into the'holder toreplace the vacuum caused by the discharge of the ink. This air 'may beadmitted either past the pen-surfaces,

through the holder, or through an opening, e, left in the lower end ofthe holder, as represented in the drawings, which represent thepreferred construction. I

It is found in practice that when the air is admitted at one point andthe ink permitted to pass downward at another point a better action issecured than under anyother arrangement.

In making use of the device the holder is applied to the open end of thebody or reservoir,

as represented in FigA 1. rlhe column of ink in the body or reservoir issustained therein lnainly by atmospheric pressure, and will not escapeor flow downward, except as it may be withdrawn by the capillary action,hereinafter explained. The absorbent material c is maintained in athoroughly-saturated condition by the ink, and by capillary action theink is caused to tlow downward from the absorbent material between thesurfaces of the pen and the adjacent surfaces d of the holder, a thin lmof ink being constantly maintained between the surfaces of the pen andthe holder.

IOO

When the pen is in use the separation of the that among other devices isthat shown iu Patponts or nibs under the pressure applied to them in theoperation of writing causes the ink to dow constantly downward aroundand between them to the paper in a well-known manner. As the ink isdischarged from the points it is constantly replaced by fresh ink, acontinuons film of which is brought downward by capillary action fromthe absorbent material between the surfaces of the pen and the adjacentsurfaces, as before explained.

In practice it is found that apen constructed, as above described willoperate with certainty and uniformity, and that there is no dangerwhatever of the ink failing, on the one hand, to feed, or, on the otherhand, of its being discharged too rapidly. It is also found in practicethat when the pen is laid aside a constant film of fresh ink ismaintained between the points of the pen and the adjacent surfaces, theloss by evaporation being constantly supplied by the flow due to thecapillary action.

The holder may be of any suitable construction, provided the featureshereinbefore mentioned are retained.

The feeding-surfaces may be used on the outside or inside, or both theoutside and inside, of the pen.

Fig. 3 illustrates a construction in which the holder proper is formedby simply iucising a tube and bending one side of the same inward towardthe other, the space between the two sides serving to hold the pen, andthe inner surfaces serving to feed the ink. Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate aconstruction in which the holder has a single surface only to rest uponthe back ofthe pen. Fig. 6 illustrates an arrangement of three ordinarywriting-pens, one within another, in such manner that when inserted intoa holder such as shown in the drawings the supplemental pens will serveas feeding-surfaces to deliver the ink to the main or writing pen. Figs.7 and S illustrate forms of the holder in which the feeding-surfaces arearranged on both the interior and exterior of the pen and united orjoined at their edges, the pen being completely inclosed, except at theprojecting-point. Y

Vhile the form and arrangement of details shown in the drawings arepreferred, they may be modified to a limited extent, provided nosubstantial departure is made from the construction and mode of actionherein set forth.

In order to prevent a wasteful evaporation of the ink and to protect thepen-point, I provide a cap or cover, D, which may be applied over andaround the holder, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. W'ithin thiscap or cover I place sponge or other porous material E,which will servethe twofold purpose of holding and protecting the point of the pen andof alitoinatically cleaning the same each time that the cap is appliedand removed.

I am aware that fountain-pens have been constructed in a great varietyof forms, and

eut No. 186,942, wherein a collapsible holder or reservoir is employedin connection with a tubular holder, the arrangement being such that theink is expelled by pressing the thumb or finger upon the rubber tube orinclosing case, thereby forcing the ink from the reservoir downward tothe point. rI his construction differs from mine in that the ink isforcibly ejected by hand.

I am also aware that Patent No. 12,727 represents a collapsibleink-containing bag, from which the discharge of ink is controlled bymeans of a valve, which discharges the ink intermittently into a spongeor absorbent material, from which it runs downward in the inner surfaceof the pen. The ink is not delivered to the pen by capillary action.

It will be perceived by the skilled mechanic that, as regards thefeeding-plates, the only essential requirement is that they shallpresent feeding-surfaces in close proximity to the peil, and it ismanifest that the thickness of these plates and shape of their surfacesare not material, provided they lie adjacent to the pen and feed the inkin the manner described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim isl. The combination ofthe rigid or noncol lapsible ink-reservoir closed at the top, the porousmaterial in its lower end, the pen,and the feeding-plate lying close tothe surface of the pen and extending from the ink-supply downward to asuitable point to deliver inlc to the point of the pen, as set forth.

2. In a fountain-pen, the combination of the body wherein acolumnofinkissustained mainly by atmospheric pressure, a writing-pen ofordinary form at the lower end of said body, one or more feeders withsurfaces lying adjacent to the pen and extending from the inksupplydownward to the point of the pen, and an air-admission to the lower endofthe reservoir, substantially as shown, whereby an automatic andconstant feeding of the ink from the reservoir to the point ot' the penis secured by capillary action.

3. The non-collapsible ink-reservoir, open at the lower end only, incombination with the detachable holder provided with the porousmaterial, the writing v pen, and the capillary feed plate or plates,substantially as described and shown.

4. In a fountain-pen, the combination of a reservoir wherein the ink issustained mainly by atmospheric pressure, a writing-pen, a feedplatelying adjacent to said pen, with a thin passage between the two for thefeed of the ink from the reservoir, and an air-admission at the footofthe reservoir distinct from the passage through which the ink descendsto the pen.

MARVIN C. STONE.

Witnesses:

L. I. ONEAL, JAMES A. BEAN.

ICO l

